The Milwaukee Brewers were dealt a troubling injury blow on Wednesday night as longtime baseball writer Ken Rosenthal shared news that left fielder Christian Yelich may require season-ending back surgery.
The news came amid the Brewers' continuing bid to lock up first place in the National League Central Division. Manager Pat Murphy's Brew Crew is currently six games ahead of the second place St. Louis Cardinals and seven games ahead of the third place Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 12-year MLB veteran Yelich did not sound optimistic about a possible return this season after being placed on the injured list earlier in the day.
Yelich's stellar 2024 season
The Thousand Oaks, California native Yelich has turned in a stellar season so far with the Brewers, batting .315 with 11 homers and 42 runs batted in for Murphy's team.
The 6-foot-3, 206 pound former 23rd overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft has played in 73 games and boasts a .909 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) this season, helping the Brewers to stay firmly ahead of manager Oliver Marmol's St. Louis Cardinals and manager Derek Shelton's Pittsburgh Pirates so far this season.
Yelich is listed as the only left fielder on the Brewers' roster and is widely regarded as the team's best left-handed hitter.
Brewers schedule softens with Marlins headed to Wisconsin
The Brewers are scheduled to take on manager Skip Schumaker's Miami Marlins in a three-game series this Friday through Sunday.
The Marlins are 2-1 against the Brewers so far this season with both wins coming in South Beach. Pat Murphy's Brewers won't take on another division foe until the Reds come calling on August 9. They won't play the second-place St. Louis Cardinals until August 20, giving Murphy and the Brewers plenty of time to break in Yelich's replacements both at the plate and in the outfield.
Yelich is tied for third on the Brewers with 11 home runs this season, and leads the team in batting average among full-time players. Willy Adames leads the team in home runs with 16 on the year, followed by first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
Both Adames and Hoskins are hitting less than .250 this season, highlighting the importance of Yelich's replacements getting on base to provide extra runs for a lineup that will be challenged early and often in the wake of the Brewers left fielder and fan favorite's potential season-ending injury.
Follow Us
Subscribe
